With recent reports of absentee owners buying foreclosed properties in large quantities, this story from the blog www.flintexpats.com describes how some loyal sons and daughters of Flint, Michigan have taken matters into their own hands by purchasing from foreclosure and restoring houses in historic neighborhoods like Flint's Carriagetown. Text and photos below.
Now I am a huge fan of learning about diverse historic places that preservationists can take on as projects. And I am particularly interested in the preservation of African American and GLBT related historic places. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon a little tidbit about Michelle Obama. In the latest edition of The Advocate (a GLBT focused news magazine), there is a feature story on Michelle Obama ("It's Not Just About the Hair" by Kerry Eleveld). According to the feature, Michelle Obama was a supporter of having the Henry Gerber House in Chicago designated as an historic landmark.
Henry Gerber established the nation's first gay civil rights organization, the Society for Human Rights, in his home during the 1920s. Chicago Landmarks designated the Gerber House in 2001. So, it's nice to know that the future First Lady not only is interested in historic preservation, but she also recognizes the importance of preserving our nation's diverse historic sites. If this is any indication of her interest in preservation, then Michelle Obama will move seemlessly into being the honorary chair of both Save America's Treasures and Preserve America.
There have been so many red herring come flying in from the uselessly whirring propellers of the swiftboat 'Siren' that I have rigged up an armature the way they do in Greenland you know. They are nasty things that slow release poison, and after an obscuring blanket of snow turn the landscape murky crimson. They receive names as they are strung up to see, this one: 'City on a Hill', serves as antidote to the pretty: 'Barackopolis'.
It is remarkable to see the media-brats smirk about 'roman or greek or pathenon or colosseum' and all, without ever using the word 'classicism'. What nitwits, betraying us as well as their own ignorance. Herring slops and rubber boots! For me, it would be more helpful to explain to people this choice of 'stage craft' may offer insight to Sen. Obama. In painting at least, a 'classicist' adheres to rules, likes order, is not diverted (by mood or color) until a design is done. Probably dude keeps a 'to do' list! Meanwhile, the media rail, a train even puffing about Sen. Obama using ideas that have existed, and been utilized by everybody, for millennia- as if he shouldn't. Yes, they were used at the 2004 Republican convention but was a romance. :)
Many folks don't get the connection between the federal historic tax credit and creating sustainable neighborhoods. Someone who did was Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones. That is why her sudden death last week came as such a blow to historic preservationists. Speaking of legislation she sponsored to improve the HTC, she one said "harnessing greater...potential in underutilized historic and older buildings and focusing more...investment in... ‘main street’ commercial structures makes so much sense. [It] has already transformed so many [Cleveland] communities." Below is a tribute to Tubbs Jones by Heather MacIntosh, President of Preservation Action. You can read the whole post here: http://www.preservationaction.org/states/8.21.2008.htm
Foreign affairs seems to be having its day in the sun during this election. We usually think of historic preservation as purely a domestic issue but Don Rypkema of Place Economics has an interesting series of posts about historic preservation and world affairs. He lists 10 key ideas (notably none of which seem to involve invading anyone!). You can read the entire blog here: http://www.placeeconomics.com/2008/08/historic-preservation-and-america-in.html.
Here is the text of the first installment of his preservation and world affairs posts:
Hi all:
I was reading Matthew Yglesias's new blog on ThinkProgress (see link below), and he has an interesting post on the use of TIF funds to spur development, and encourage "early movers" to make investments and/or live in difficult to develop areas. I think TIFs have their place, but I was surprised by the dislike of many of the commentators to the blog post. Thought I'd post it here as well. TIF money, governmental grants, Historic tax incentives (both Federal and State), New Market Tax Credits, Affordable Housing Programs -- there are lots of tools out there for our local, state and federal governments to make a real difference here in people's lives (housing, jobs, environmental redevelopment, quality of life), and in the process, revive many of our cities. I hopeful that an Obama administration will take better advantage of these tools.
http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2008/08/20096.php
Forget those awful diets...there is actual medical evidence that preservation is good for us! Check out this article:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25890997
Joe Logan owns a historic barn. It’s located where you’d expect it to be—on his family farm, which, in Joe’s case, is in Kinsman, Ohio. What you might not expect is that Joe’s barn is the star of a new campaign ad for Barack Obama. View the ad.
Preservationists from around the country were immediately struck by the handsome barn featured in the ad. In an email interview conducted by Historic Preservation for Obama, Joe confirmed the barn’s pedigree. “The barn on the video is the ‘newer’ section of our barn” Joe teased. “This section was completed in 1911.” It turns out the “newer” section was coupled to a pre-existing structure which may have been built as early as the mid 1800s.
Barak Obama's Blueprint for Change calls for promoting an increase in the supply of affordable housing. The current issue of In Focus at HousingPolicy.org has a good piece (linked below and copied after the more button) on how historic preservation is a green and efficient way to provide affordable housing. Only when the true costs of new construction and new development are considered do we really see the great advantages of historic preservation as a means to providing affordable and sustainable housing.
http://www.housingpolicy.org/in_focus.html
A key provision of the Obama's Blueprint for Change promotes an increase in the supply of afforable housing, while a companion provision calls for establishing "Promise Neighborhoods" to bring a comprehensive strategy to fighting neighborhoods of concentrated poverty. So can America build itself out of the housing crisis? In a provocative white paper written for the National Trust for Trust, Donovan Rypkema argues not. Instead, he say that we can no longer throw away our older houses and our historic neighborhoods. They are needed today to supply affordable housing. Read the full white paper
What does the fierce urgency of electing Barack Obama now have to do with historic presevation? Isn't historic preservation a rather quaint, esoteric pursuit? Everyone who cares about our planet and climate change should read the statement of Richard Moe, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, on the critical role that recycling buildings (i.e. historic preservation) must play in addressing climate change. Below are some key excerpts. To my way of thinking, this vision of historic preservation dovetails so closely with Obama's Blueprint for Change that everyone who believes in preservation should be supporting Obama. Learn more at www.historicpreservationforobama.org. Read the full text of Moe's speech here.
